Parents charged after 3-year-old girl starved to death

Parents charged after 3-year-old girl starved to death

(CNN) — A Philadelphia couple were charged Tuesday in the starvation death of their 3-year-old daughter, who weighed only 11 pounds, according to police.

“I saw the photos, they were extremely disturbing,” Philadelphia Police Homicide Capt. James Clark said of the girl at a news conference Monday.

Carlos Rivera, 30, and Carmen Ramirez, 27, brought their unresponsive daughter, Nathlayz Rivera, to Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia early Monday morning, where the child was pronounced dead at 1:59 a.m., according to Officer Jillian Russell.

Rivera and Ramirez were arraigned Tuesday afternoon on charges of third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child, according to Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Tasha Jamerson. Both parents are being held without bail, and their next court date is scheduled for September 25, Jamerson said.

According to officials at the Criminal Justice Information Center in Philadelphia, Rivera and Ramirez do not have legal representation and it’s unclear when they will.

Four other children — ages 9, 8, 7 and Nathlayz’s 3-year-old twin — lived at the couple’s residence. The children were taken to a local hospital where they were examined and then transported to the Philadelphia Department of Human Services on Monday, Russell said.

According to Dr. Nicole Avena, a weight loss specialist at the New York Obesity Research Center, a typical weight range for a 3-year-old girl of average height is between 30 and 35 pounds. But it is not unusual for a child with disabilities to have feeding difficulties, which can lead to weight loss if not appropriately handled by a pediatrician, Avena said.

The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office declined to comment due to the active police investigation.